Nearshore Americas

Growing South: The Diffusion of U.S. Tech Innovation and Mexico’s Emergence as a Startup Hub

North America’s center of technological innovation is moving south. Two generations ago, most hi-tech firms were based around Boston, but over time they’ve spread out to places like Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, California’s Silicon Valley, and Austin, Texas. As this process continues, Mexico is becoming more intensely integrated into the cycle of technological innovation.

This 23-page report focuses on the growing ties between technology professionals in the United States and Mexico. It analyzes how Mexico is transforming, from a market where engineering and business talent once focused its energy on industrial manufacturing and business services, to one with a higher degree of technological entrepreneurship. The report also details how entrepreneurs are preparing to expand on their operations in Mexico to develop a regional footprint in Latin America.

Key insights include:

  • Analysis of how the process of tech innovation is de-centralizing, giving Mexico the chance to build on its human talent base through collaborations with U.S. researchers and businesses.
  • Discussion of Mexico’s traditionally risk-averse business culture and how startup entrepreneurs are changing it by seeking opportunities to improve banking and IT sectors, among other industries.
  • Identification of talent centers across the new Mexican economy, as entrepreneurs venture into new niches.
  • Exploration of how Mexico serves as a microcosm of the middle income world, and the opportunity this presents.

This research report stems from interviews with dozens of leading technology professionals and entrepreneurs in Mexico. Additional insights are provided by data collected by Nearshore Americas through wage analysis of IT professionals in Mexico, as well as surveys conducted among nearshore outsourcing professionals.

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Table of Contents:

  • Mexico’s Strategic Geography …. 4
  • How Silicon Valley Is Growing South…. 6
  • A Microcosm for the Tech Entrepreneur….9
  • Risk Aversion and Other Domestic Challenges ….12
  • Navigating the VC Pipeline….14
  • Reforms Show Glimmers of a New Economy….16
  • Mexico Grows South…. 19
  • Talent Centers…. 20
  • Conclusions …. 21